HISTORY OF THE NAMWANGA PEOPLE OF NAKONDE

By Bwalya Mange

The Winamwanga people of Nakonde District are believed to have come from North East Africa together with the Tonga/Ila people of Southern province at about 900 BC. Hence some similarities in names between the Tonga’s and Namwanga’s such as Siame in Namwanga and Sianjunza in Tonga. Their lifestyle was a fugal system or nomadic life, meaning that they had no permanent residence.

As they come down, some of the Namwanga’s decided to settle in Tanganyila now called Tanzania while others proceeded to Northern Rhodesia now Zambia. In Tanzania, they spread to places like Mbeya, while those in Zambia settled in Mwenzo area western part of Nakonde District, some parts of Chinsali, Kasama and Mbala. The Tonga’s however

proceeded to Southern Zambia.

It must be noted that by this time, there were no borders available meaning that the Namwanga’s in Tannzania and Zambia shared everything including leadership. After the partitioning of boundaries, the headquarters of the Namwanga people remained in Tanganyika or Tanzania under Chief Mukoma. To this very day, the Paramount Chief of the

Namwanga people is based in Tanzania and only appoints a chief from there to rule over the Namawanga’s in Zambia.

The first chief appointed was Namulinda as Chief Nawaitwika to rule over the Namwanga’s on the Zambian side, when she died Namaipo was appointed as Chief Nawaitwika. Following her death in 1940, Malia was appointed as the third Nawaitwika from 1941 to 1999. Malia ruled for over 56 years, making her one of the longest serving chiefs in Zambia. After her death, Evelyn, who was born in Zambia and lived in Mufulira with her husband was later appointed as the current Chief Nawaitwika.